


Shelter From The Storm

by AntarcticBird



Series: Collide [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-14
Updated: 2013-09-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 13:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/966718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntarcticBird/pseuds/AntarcticBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He can’t stand the thought of someone, anyone at all, being alone when they’re not feeling well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shelter From The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [Pace](http://mailroomorder.tumblr.com/) for being an amazing beta!

“Lunch?” Blaine asks Steve, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. It’s actually a rhetorical question - they go to lunch together every Thursday after class.

Steve, however, looks over at him and shakes his head, shrugging apologetically. “Sorry, I can’t today. My sister is in the city, I have to meet her and take her sightseeing.”

Blaine smiles. “Oh, okay. No big deal. Have fun!”

Steve gives him a grateful pat on the shoulder before heading out the door.

Blaine quickly goes over the names of the people who might be free to join him for lunch, but really, the reason that he goes only with Steve every Thursday is that no one else has the same lunch period that day. So they’ve kind of made it a ritual to pack their own lunch and eat out in the quad or in an empty practice room, talking about nerdy things most of their other friends aren’t all that into.

He sighs, leaving the classroom, resigned to spending lunch time on his own for once before an idea occurs to him and he grins, a new spring in his step as he makes his way down the familiar hallway.

A few minutes later, he knocks on Kurt’s office door. He’s sure that Kurt is here. He rarely leaves campus during the day unless he doesn’t have any afternoon classes.

“Come in,” Kurt calls, and Blaine opens the door and pokes his head inside.

“Are you busy?”

“Blaine!” Kurt looks at him over his glasses and smiles. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Blaine slips inside quickly, closing the door behind himself.

“Can I help you with something?” Kurt wants to know.

“Oh. No. I can leave if you’re busy,” Blaine offers, “It’s just that my friend I was supposed to have lunch with ditched me and so I thought I’d stop by and hang out for a bit. If that’s okay.”

Kurt shuffles some papers around before gesturing toward the empty chair in the corner. “That’s fine. Have a seat. I’m just going over some notes for this afternoon.”

“Awesome. Thanks!” Blaine drops his bag onto the floor and scrapes the chair across the floor closer to Kurt’s desk before carefully clearing a small corner for himself. He unpacks his lunch, craning his neck to see what Kurt is working on. “Is that for us?”

Kurt grins up at him. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Aww come on, Kurt!” Blaine pouts. “I won’t tell.”

Kurt shakes his head firmly, a small grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’m not going to give you the lesson in advance. Forget it.”

“Are you afraid I’ll get too good?” Blaine teases.

“You already _are_ good, Blaine.” Kurt leans forward, stealing a few of Blaine’s chips.

“Hey!”

“Oh, seriously. I’m sharing my office, you can share your food.” Kurt rolls his eyes.

“Well, all right. Help yourself.” Blaine picks up the bag of chips, placing it nearer to Kurt on top of some sheet music.

Kurt smiles triumphantly and shoves another handful into his mouth. “So, how’s your Katy Perry medley coming along?”

Blaine chews a bite of sandwich before answering. “Pretty good, I think. I’ll play it for you next time we’re in the practice room!”

“Looking forward to it.” Kurt leans back in his chair comfortably.

“Speaking of which, can we meet up half an hour earlier on Friday?” Blaine wants to know. “Aaron invited me to this party off campus and I was hoping -”

“If this is about a guy I don’t wanna hear about it.” Kurt holds up both hands. “That was the deal, remember? No talking about guys and dating and -.”

Blaine rolls his eyes. “Aaron is just a friend, Kurt. And he’s straight. _And_ not my type anyway. I wasn’t going to share some intimate detail.”

“Just making sure.” Kurt nods. “Okay, go on.”

“...I was hoping we could meet a little early so I can run back to my dorm afterwards and maybe get a shower before I have to go. If that’s okay with you.”

Kurt shrugs. “Sure. That actually works out well for me, I have a - I have plans that night myself.”

Blaine wants to ask if he has a date, but closes his mouth before the words can make it out. They have an agreement, he and Kurt. The morning after their last ‘accidental’ hook up, they went for breakfast. They talked. And they both agreed that they didn’t want to go back to the awkwardly distant relationship they’d been stuck in at the beginning of the semester. They obviously get along great, and it would have been a shame to lose a potential friendship like that just because of one - okay, _two_ \- stupid mistakes they had made while they were both drunk. And even if it had taken Blaine quite a bit of pouting and persuading, Kurt had eventually agreed that they could keep hanging out. All he had asked was that they didn’t share intimate details of their lives - which basically meant no talking about the people they dated or slept with. And that they’d never hook up again.

It’s been a week and a half since that morning, and so far, everything has been wonderful.

Blaine is glad that their impulsive and drunken one night stand hasn’t ruined things between them. Hanging out with Kurt is _awesome_.

“So, half an hour earlier then,” he asks to clarify.

“Yes.” Kurt nods. “

**

The party on Friday is pretty awesome - most of Blaine’s NYADA friends are there, and then there’s Tyler, a freshman at NYU, with cute, dirty-blond hair and a very tight t-shirt that shows off a very nicely muscled chest. Turns out Tyler also has a dorm room to himself that night, and Blaine leaves the party early - with Tyler. He really, really loves college so far.

On Saturday, he meets Santana for a hangover brunch even though he isn’t actually hungover since he’d spent only a short part of the night drinking and a longer part stretched out on Tyler’s narrow dorm bed. It’s still good to hang out with Santana, who he only sees every other week at this point. He misses her.

On Sunday, he actually catches up on his assignments and goes to bed early.

The next week starts off cold and gray; it’s probably going to start snowing soon, but for now it’s just raining.

He stops by Kurt’s office on Tuesday. He does have some questions, but he also just wants to hang out with Kurt. They end up sharing lunch again, even though Kurt doesn’t eat much. He looks tired and a little paler than usual.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asks.

Kurt sniffles and smiles at him. “Fine. Just a stupid cold.”

Blaine squeezes his shoulder on the way out and leaves the apple he’d packed for lunch on Kurt’s desk. “You need the vitamins more than I do,” he says.

Kurt tries to protest, but Blaine just waves at him and slips out the door.

**

“So, what are you doing with your free period today?” Rachel asks, suddenly showing up next to him as he’s walking toward the dining hall where he’s supposed to meet Steve for their regular Thursday lunch.

“What free period?” Blaine looks at her in confusion. Thursdays are really busy days for him, and even if he had a free period, Rachel wouldn’t know about it. They’re friends, but not good enough friends for her to know his class schedule.

“Oh haven’t you heard?” She flips her hair back over her shoulder. “Kurt is sick, Vocal Technique is cancelled for today.”

“He is?” It’s the first time Blaine hears about it.

“Yes, it’s really too bad.” Rachel sighs. “With only a few short weeks left of the semester especially - but I’ll definitely be taking his class again next semester, he really is an excellent teacher, he is so -”

Blaine tunes her out and fishes his phone out of his pocket. Angling it away from Rachel so that she can’t see the screen, he quickly types out a message to Kurt.

_Hey, Rachel says you’re sick? Are you okay?_

“So, anyway,” Rachel ends her sermon on Kurt’s undeniable talent, “What _are_ you doing with your free period?”

“Oh.” He stops, thinking about it. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Would you maybe like to get some coffee?” she asks, smiling widely and batting her lashes at him.

He considers it for a moment before agreeing and hugging her goodbye with a promise to meet up later. They don’t usually hang out outside of class, but she’s nice. And you can never have enough friends.

The rest of the day flies by - lunch, coffee with Rachel, and his evening class.

Blaine keeps checking his phone at regular intervals, but there’s no response from Kurt. He’s just starting to get really worried - he’s back in his dorm and thinking about whether or not he wants to get started on his assignments tonight - when his phone finally vibrates in his pocket.

It’s from Kurt, but it doesn’t do much to ease his worries.

_fine thx_

That’s the entire message. And so maybe he and Kurt don’t text a whole lot, but this is short, for Kurt. He doesn’t hesitate before texting back.

_what’s wrong? Is there anything I can do?_

He puts the phone down on his desk, opens his laptop to hang out on Facebook rather than concentrate on school stuff tonight. It takes another half hour almost before Kurt answers.

_No. Gonna be okay._

Blaine sighs and bites his lip. He doesn’t want to overstep. Kurt has friends, he’s probably well taken care of, he doesn’t need Blaine to be there for him. The thing is just that Blaine - can’t help it. Kurt is his _friend_ and apparently he’s not feeling well and Blaine just needs to make sure he has everything he needs. He can’t stand the thought of someone, anyone at all, being alone when they’re not feeling well. He wonders if Kurt has someone there right now to bring him tea and warm up some chicken soup for him and make sure he’s warm and comfortable -

He really just hopes Kurt is okay.

The next text is waiting for Blaine when he leaves class the next day.

_Gonna have to cancel voice lesson today, sorry_

Without thinking about it too much, he dials Kurt’s number, pressing the phone to his ear.

He lets it ring until it goes to voicemail, then dials again and waits. Kurt doesn’t pick up.

So Blaine does the only thing he can think of - he shoots Paul a quick text telling him he has to meet a friend and will be back late. And then he grabs his jacket and heads out the door.

**

He stands outside Kurt’s apartment door, hand raised to knock, and feels like a total creep. Kurt is his friend, and even if just about an hour ago coming here had felt like the only possible course of action, he isn’t so sure anymore now. Because Kurt is also his teacher. Maybe he’s way out of line here.

Taking a deep breath, he swallows down the uncertainty and knocks before he can change his mind. He already came all the way out here. He just hopes Kurt really doesn’t have anyone over who might know who Blaine is.

Well. If someone other than Kurt answers the door, he’ll just pretend he got the wrong apartment. No big deal.

It takes a while and he’s just raising his hand to knock again when he hears footsteps on the other side of the door, accompanied by a muffled cough, and then the door cracks open and there is Kurt.

He looks - pitiful. He’s pale, his hair looking sweaty and sticking up on one side, plastered close to his head on the other. There are dark circles under his eyes and he’s hunched over as if he’s about to fall asleep on his feet.

“Blaine,” he says, the surprise clear in his voice, which sounds awfully nasal and stuffy.

“Kurt.” Blaine tries to see past him into the apartment. “I’m sorry if I woke you, but you didn’t answer your phone and -”

“And so you decided to come all the way out here?”

Blaine shrugs, smiling up at Kurt apologetically. “Yes? Is that - I hope that’s not too - I don’t know.”

Kurt doesn’t respond, just lets go of the door and shuffles across the living room in the direction of the couch where he basically collapses onto his face. “You shouldn’t be here,” he says into the couch cushion.

“I know.” Blaine slips into the apartment, closing and locking the door behind himself. “Are you - You don’t look so good.”

“Thanks.”

“No, I mean -” Blaine takes a deep breath, moving over to the couch where he stops to look down on Kurt. “Is there anyone - Are you alone?”

“‘’m fine,” Kurt informs him. “Didn’t wanna infect anyone with this plague or whatever it is.”

“Kurt.” Blaine gingerly sits on the edge of the narrow couch, placing a careful hand on Kurt’s back to rub up and down gently through the material of his thin robe. “You shouldn’t be alone when you’re sick.”

“It’s just a cold.”

“Still. Do you have anyone you could call?”

Kurt turns his head to the side so he can blink up at Blaine. “Yes, but I don’t want to. I just need some sleep.”

Blaine just takes him in, all of him, the way he’s looking somehow smaller and heartbreakingly helpless and it twists something deep in his gut. Kurt is so strong, so indestructible. Kurt never needs anyone to help him. But Blaine still wants to.

“Then sleep,” he says softly, holding onto Kurt’s shoulders and hoisting him up into a sitting position.

Kurt whines and slumps against him. “I was trying to. What are you doing?”

Blaine gently rubs his hands up and down Kurt’s arms before standing up, pulling Kurt with him and encouraging him to lean against him. “I’m getting you into bed. And then I’m going to bring you some tea.”

“You really don’t have to, I’m _fine_ -”

“Kurt,” Blaine says fondly. “I say this with all the respect I have for you, okay? Shut the fuck up and let me fucking _help you_.”

Kurt laughs, then starts coughing violently, almost doubling over, holding onto Blaine so that he doesn’t fall. “Okay,” he agrees once the coughing subsides, sucking in huge gulps of air. “You may help me.”

Blaine smiles, slipping an arm around Kurt’s waist. “Thank you.”

He walks him to the bedroom, lowers him down onto the bed where Kurt immediately curls himself into a tight ball, eyes squeezed shut and his whole body shivering. 

The covers are crumpled up at the foot of the bed and Blaine shakes them out before draping them over Kurt, pulling them over his shoulders and tucking him in. “Better?” he asks.

Kurt closes his eyes and hums before another cough shakes him. Blaine rubs his back through the covers until it’s over and murmurs soft words of comfort.

Kurt sucks in a few deep breaths and presses his cheek into the pillow. “I hate being sick,” he rasps.

Blaine brushes a few strands of hair from his forehead and resists the urge to slip into the bed beside Kurt and hold him. He can’t stand to see anyone suffer. “Let me make you some tea,” he says before getting up and heading for the bedroom door.

“Blaine?” Kurt says, voice rough and low.

Blaine stops and looks back at him. “Yeah?”

Kurt smiles, a weak, small twitch at the corners of his mouth. “Thank you!”

Blaine smiles back at him. “Anytime, Kurt.”

He walks into the kitchen, opening cupboards and roaming through shelves until he finds tea bags. He chooses a nice, big mug from the cupboard - it has an almost washed off picture of a kitten on it and is slightly chipped on one side, like it’s been well used. It must be one of Kurt’s favorites.

He boils water and pours it over the tea bag before busying himself with cleaning up a little while he lets the tea brew on the kitchen counter. There are tissues on the coffee table in the living room and a woollen blanket on the floor, some dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. Blaine tidies up the apartment as much as he can in five minutes, then he fishes the tea bag out of the cup and throws it in the trash.

He carries the tea into Kurt’s bedroom, tiptoeing over the soft carpet as quietly as he can in case Kurt is asleep.

He isn’t. As soon as Blaine sets the cup down on the nightstand, he cracks one eye open and looks up at him.

“You really don’t have to do this.”

Blaine shakes his head at him. “I want to. You shouldn’t be alone like this.”

“I’m a big boy, Blaine,” Kurt insists. “I’ll live.”

“That’s not the point.” Blaine sits down on the edge of the mattress and lifts a hand to touch Kurt, thinks better of it at the last minute and instead straightens the covers a bit before dropping his hands into his lap. “Are you comfortable like this? Do you need anything else?”

Kurt shakes his head tiredly. “I’m okay.” His cheeks are flushed and his eyes a little glassy and Blaine lifts a hand anyway, pressing the backs of his fingers to Kurt’s forehead.

“I think you have a fever.”

Kurt nods. “Probably, yeah.”

“We should take your temperature, do you have -”

“Bathroom cabinet.” Kurt struggles to sit up, wheezing a little as he does so. “I’ll go get it.”

Blaine rolls his eyes and pushes against Kurt’s chest until he lies flat on his back again. “You stay right here. _I’ll_ get it!”

“But, _Blaine_ -”

“You’re sick, Kurt. In case you hadn’t noticed. And I’m here to _help_ you.”

Kurt slumps back against his pillow, sighing deeply before coughing again. “Okay,” he says finally. “Okay, okay. You go and get it. Or don’t, it’s probably not that bad anyway...”

Blaine laughs and gets up. “I’ll be back in a second.”

It takes him less than a minute to find his way around Kurt’s bathroom, and he’s back at Kurt’s side a moment later. Kurt just gives him a defeated look as Blaine sticks the thermometer into his mouth and holds it there. He doesn’t protest anymore, just closes his eyes and waits for the beep.

Blaine checks the display before smiling down at Kurt. “100.7, I guess it could be worse.”

“Feels pretty bad,” Kurt answers.

Blaine nods. “I know. I know it does. It’s funny, but the higher your temperature when you’re sick, the better you feel.”

Kurt coughs in response.

Blaine cups a hand around the mug on the nightstand, checking whether it’s okay to drink yet. “Do you want some tea?” he asks. “You should drink a lot. Might help with the cough.”

Kurt sighs and shakes his head, then changes it into a nod. “I don’t really want to, but I guess I should.”

Blaine helps him sit up, props him up against the headboard before crawling up to sit beside him, draping an arm around Kurt’s shoulders and tucking him against his side before taking the mug into his free hand. “Here you go,” he says gently, lifting it to Kurt’s lips.

Kurt cups his hands around the mug over Blaine’s, directing it to his mouth carefully and takes a tentative sip. “Hot,” he comments.

Blaine squeezes his shoulder. “Too hot to drink?”

“No.” Kurt takes another sip, and another, and Blaine patiently holds him up and helps him drink until more than half of the giant mug is empty.

Kurt’s hands fall away and his head slumps against Blaine’s shoulder as he shivers. “So tired,” he whispers.

Blaine sets the tea back onto the nightstand and just allows himself to hold Kurt for a moment, comforting him as best he can. Hugs always help him when he’s not feeling well, and since Kurt is cuddling against him and sighing almost contentedly, he assumes that he’s not the only one feeling that way.

He turns his head a little, speaking against Kurt’s sweaty hair. “Do you want to sleep?”

“Yeah.” Kurt yawns, letting out another small cough.

Blaine sits up and gently helps Kurt lie down again, drawing the covers up all the way under his chin.

“Thanks for coming over,” Kurt mumbles into the covers. “I promise I’ll text you when I’m feeling better.”

“What do you mean, you’ll text me?” Blaine asks.

“Well, I don’t have to.” Kurt blinks up at him, confused.

“Oh!” Blaine’s eyes widen as he understands. “You want me to - Do you want me to leave now?”

Kurt shrugs. “I thought you were - I’m sure you have things to do, I can’t ask you to - It’s fine, Blaine, you don’t have to stick around. You’ve done so much already.”

Blaine’s heart breaks just a little bit for this beautiful, strong man who seems so used to handling his own problems, he seems to have forgotten how to let others take care of him for once. “Would you mind if I stayed, though?”

Kurt’s eyes dart away from him, and he licks his dry lips, seeming uncomfortable. “Why would you - You don’t have to feel obligated. Don’t you have plans with your friends? It’s Friday night...”

“My friends can have fun without me,” Blaine says. “I want to stay. Will you let me?”

Kurt sighs, closing his eyes. “I’m not really physically capable of throwing you out right now anyway.”

“Kurt.” Blaine touches his shoulder, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over Kurt’s arm. “Is it okay if I stay? I really don’t want to leave you alone.”

Kurt blinks up at him, and he’s so hesitant, looks so unsure, but underneath that, Blaine sees … the loneliness. The shielded, secluded part of Kurt that just wants to go to sleep knowing that someone is watching over him.

“Okay,” he says, softly. “Yes. If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Blaine says, carding his fingers through Kurt’s hair until he closes his eyes, then he leans down and gently kisses the hot, clammy skin at the side of Kurt’s head. “I’m staying until you’re feeling better.”

“Thank you,” Kurt whispers, and Blaine doesn’t stop stroking his hair until he’s sure that Kurt is asleep.

He leaves the bedroom door open so that he can hear Kurt and wanders back into the living room where he busies himself with cleaning up some more. Then he texts Paul to tell him he won’t be home tonight, leaving his phone on the coffee table before taking a look around.

It’s late, but not that late. He could watch TV, but he’s afraid of the noise waking Kurt or Kurt needing something and him not being able to hear him over the sound of the TV. So he peruses Kurt’s book shelves, picking out something to read before dropping onto the couch and opening the book.

He’s been reading for maybe half an hour when there’s a cough from the bedroom and he goes to check on Kurt, but Kurt is still fast asleep, curled into a tight ball of sweaty pale man under the covers. Blaine watches him for a second, then heads out again.

If he’s going to stay here overnight, he’ll need a few things. He finds Kurt’s key in a shallow bowl on an end table by the door, then goes to find pen and paper to leave Kurt a note in case he wakes up. After depositing it on the pillow beside Kurt’s head, he slips into his shoes, grabs his wallet, and goes to buy himself a toothbrush and some canned chicken soup for Kurt.

He’s back twenty minutes later and only takes the time to kick off his shoes by the door and drop his shopping bag onto the coffee table before checking on Kurt.

Kurt is still asleep and doesn’t seem to have woken up at all while Blaine was out. The note lies untouched beside his head and Blaine picks it up and throws it into the trash can next to the bed. Carefully, he settles himself on the mattress and feels Kurt’s forehead - the skin is still hot and sweaty and Blaine sighs, wishing there was something more he could do for Kurt than just sitting around and keeping him company.

He’s just about to get up and walk back to the living room to read some more before turning in for the night, when Kurt stirs, coughs, and blinks his eyes open.

“Hey,” Blaine says softly, sitting back down and rubbing Kurt’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Instead of an answer, Kurt just shakes his head and closes his eyes again for a moment. “Like crap,” he croaks finally.

“I’m sorry,” Blaine says.

“Not your fault.”

“Are you hungry?”

Kurt thinks about it. “No,” he decides. “Just tired.”

Blaine nods and pushes some sweaty strands of hair from Kurt’s forehead. “You should drink something, though.”

“Ugh.” Kurt makes a face. “Do I have to?”

Blaine laughs quietly. “Yes.”

“Fine,” Kurt agrees sadly. “I guess you’re right.”

“I’ll be right back,” Blaine promises, picking up the almost empty mug from the nightstand and retreating into the kitchen to make some more tea.

**

He ends up staying the entire weekend. Kurt feels better Saturday, but he still sleeps a lot and the coughing, while not sounding quite so dangerous anymore, is still there.

Blaine makes him tea and soup and in the afternoon Kurt actually starts complaining about being bored, so Blaine brings him his laptop and they watch _When Harry Met Sally_. Kurt falls asleep with his head on Blaine’s shoulder after the end credits roll across the screen.

Not wanting to wake him, Blaine closes the laptop and carefully places it on the nightstand without jostling Kurt around too much, then slides them both down a little until they’re lying on Kurt’s mattress, curled around each other and pretty much cuddling. He tries not to think about the times they’ve been in a similar position before, instead closes his eyes and decides to take a nap.

It’s early evening when he wakes up. Kurt is still asleep, but they seem to have rolled over at some point so that Blaine is more or less lying on top of him. Kurt has one arm slung around Blaine’s lower back, the other flung out to the side, and when Blaine lifts his head to look down at him, he is pleased to notice that Kurt looks a lot less pale than he did a few hours before.

He looks sweaty and like he’s been sick for two days, but Blaine thinks that the worst is definitely over.

He tries to slide off Kurt without disturbing him, but of course that doesn’t work and Kurt blinks up at him as soon as Blaine gently slides Kurt’s hand off his hip.

“Blaine?” Kurt lets go of him, bringing both hands up to rub at his eyes. “What time is it?”

Blaine smiles at him. “I don’t know. Evening. How are you feeling?”

Kurt seems to think about it for a second, quietly taking stock of his body. “Better,” he says, then wrinkles his nose as he lifts the sweat-sticky shirt off his skin a bit. “Gross. Really gross.”

“You’re not,” Blaine assures him, laughing, and to prove it he leans down to press a lingering kiss to Kurt’s sweaty temple, hand rubbing his belly in a way he hopes conveys comfort and not anything more. They still have a deal about stuff like that, and Blaine is honoring that. If they’ve crossed a line with the cuddling, he hopes Kurt will count a severe cold as extenuating circumstances instead of withdrawing from him again, but he thinks they’re safe. The rule had said no sex and no talking about sex. This, what they’re doing, is innocent.

“Blaine, _Blaine_ -” Kurt pushes at his shoulders, struggling to wriggle out from underneath him. “I’m disgusting, stop it, I’ve been wearing the same clothes for like three days and I haven’t showered since Thursday night, I really have to -”

Blaine sighs, rolling away, but keeps one hand on Kurt’s arm. “Okay, go, shower. I’ll find us something to eat.”

Kurt offers him a grateful smile before he swings his legs out of bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress for a minute. Blaine shuffles closer and rubs his back while Kurt adjusts to being upright again after a day of lying down except for short trips to the bathroom.

“Hey, Blaine?” Kurt says, looking back at him over his shoulder.

“Yes?”

“Thanks for staying.”

“Anytime.”

**

He’s fixing dinner when Kurt sticks his head in the kitchen, hair still shower-damp and skin glowing. “If you want to shower too, I’ve put some clean clothes for you on the sink - if you’d like to change out of the clothes you’ve been wearing since Friday.”

Blaine beams at him. “Oh god, yes!”

“Want me to take over for a few minutes?” Kurt asks, motioning towards where Blaine is stirring the soup.

“No, I’ve got it,” Blaine says, turning off the stove and placing the lid on the pot. “I’ll just be a few minutes.” He has to remind himself to not kiss Kurt’s cheek on the way out of the kitchen. This all feels - weirdly, comfortingly domestic, and it scares Blaine a little that something like this can feel so normal to him.

**

They watch TV in the living room that night, until Blaine has to half-carry a sleepy, exhausted Kurt back to bed where he tucks him in and kisses his freshly washed hair before making his bed on the couch for the second night in a row.

Sunday is relaxed. Kurt is feeling so much better - he’s no longer coughing and sounds a lot less nasal and only falls asleep twice while they’re lounging on the couch in the living room, sharing a blanket and mostly just talking with the TV on in the background.

They talk about everything - Blaine tells Kurt more about Dalton, briefly touches upon his reason for transferring there (“ _the bullying got really bad at my old school, it got - pretty physical, and I couldn’t - it didn’t feel safe to go back_ ”), and Kurt holds his hand and nods, eyes shining with a pain that Blaine recognizes all too well.

Kurt tells him about his family, his entire family including his stepmother and stepbrother, but mostly his dad, who seems to be an _amazing_ person. Blaine is from Ohio too, of course he’s heard of Congressman Hummel. He had just never made the connection to Kurt.

They talk about music and movies and books and Broadway, about dreams and hopes and failures and successes.

It’s the easiest, longest conversation with someone that Blaine can remember, and it doesn’t get boring, not once. The second time Kurt’s eyes slip shut and he nods off, Blaine leans back on the couch as well, cheek pressed to the backrest, watching his friend for a minute before closing his own eyes to take a little nap as well.

**

Kurt feels well enough to decide he’ll be going back to work on Monday and Blaine can’t think of any excuse allowing him to stay another night. So by that evening, he’s gathering the few things he’d left strewn around the apartment and puts his own clothes back on (Kurt had let him use his washing machine).

“There’s still some soup in the fridge, and I think you have enough herbal tea to last you all winter. I wrapped up the leftovers from the sandwiches and put them in the fridge too, they should keep until tomorrow. If you don’t change your mind about going back to work, you can pack them as lunch -”

“Blaine!”

Blaine looks up from where he’s slipping into his brown boat shoes, raising a questioning eyebrow at Kurt. “Yes?”

Kurt smiles, takes a somewhat shaky breath, and pulls Blaine into a hug, bodies pressed together tightly from heads to legs, arms firmly around his back. “Thank you.”

Blaine exhales, lifts his arms to hug back just as hard. “Anytime. I mean it.” He clings for a few extra seconds, wanting Kurt to understand how much he means this. “I’ll see you at school?” he says eventually, letting go and taking two steps back.

“Yes. Text me when you’re home, though,” Kurt answers. “I just want to know you made it back safely.”

Blaine reaches out to give Kurt’s hand a short squeeze, then picks up his bag and lets Kurt open the door for him.

**

They don’t run into each other on Monday at all, but Tuesday when Blaine comes out of Acting I just before lunch and checks his phone, he has a text from Kurt.

 _Meet in my office?_ it says. And Blaine shrugs, making his way there after waving goodbye to his friends.

Kurt’s door is half-open, so Blaine knocks on the frame to get his attention. “Hi,” he greets.

Kurt turns in his desk chair, his entire face lighting up when he sees Blaine. “Hi. There you are.”

“You summoned me?” Blaine asks, grinning.

Kurt rolls his eyes at him, motioning for him to come inside and close the door, which Blaine does. “You’re going to lunch now, right?”

Blaine nods. “Yup.”

“With friends?”

Blaine shrugs. “Tuesdays is just a group of us, most of us have the same lunch period -”

“So, if you were to not show up this once, would that be okay with them? Or with you?”

It’s Blaine’s turn to roll his eyes at Kurt. “If you want to have lunch with me, just ask.”

Kurt sighs, hands dropping to the desk to fold together neatly on a stack of papers. “Blaine,” he starts. “It just so happens that I have two fresh cups of coffee and more sandwiches than I can eat right here.” He reaches down to retrieve a large paper bag and a paper cup holder with two paper cups in it. “And I was kind of hoping you’d help me with that. So. Would you like to have lunch with me?”

Blaine feels a rush of warmth flood his chest. “You brought me lunch? I could have just -”

“You fed me the entire weekend. It’s the least I could do.”

“I still really appreciate it,” he assures Kurt, who laughs in that way that makes the corners of his eyes crinkle a little.

“You’re very welcome,” Kurt says. “Have a seat.”

And Blaine drops his bag by the door, pulling the spare chair closer to Kurt’s desk. “Okay.”

“Medium drip?” Kurt hands him one of the paper cups, and Blaine beams at him.

“You know my coffee order?”

Kurt waves it off, laughing. “Of course I do,” he says, opening the paper bag to start piling sandwiches onto the desk.

Blaine takes a sip of his coffee and leans back in his chair. “This is off-campus coffee,” he realizes, raising an eyebrow at Kurt. “Coffee shop down the street?”

Kurt nods. “I figured you deserved something a little better than the stuff from the dining hall after making me soup and keeping me hydrated all weekend.”

“Oh, please.” Blaine shrugs. “That's what friends are for, right?”

Kurt's eyes are warm when they meet Blaine's, a small smile on his lips as he nods. “Right.”

Blaine grins at him and reaches for a sandwich. Because even if he doesn't need to be thanked for something anyone would have done, he's still not going to turn down the offer of having lunch with Kurt. He's never going to turn down an opportunity to hang out with Kurt.

Blaine values his friends, and even though he's his teacher, there's no doubt that Kurt is turning into one of his best friends. And Blaine is really, really glad about that.


End file.
